Carpet-fastener



(No Model.)

F. PRILLMAN, Jr. CARPET FASTENER.

No. 448,220. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.

Jen /GS i M 5 M lUivrrn States Parent @rrrcn,

FREDERICK FRI'LLMAN, JR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. I

CARPET-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 4:48,220, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed April 18,1890. Serial No. 34:8,l99. (N0 model.)

To 00% whom, it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK FRILLMAN, -Ir., a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet Stretchers and Fasteners, of which the following; is a specification.

My invention relates to means for stretching and fastening carpets whereby a carpet may be laid or taken up readily and without the necessity of driving tacks through the carpet into the floor, which is objectionable not only because of the injury to the carpet by so doing, but also because the tacks when of such length as to securely hold the carpet to place are exceedingly difficult to take up, and particularly when their heads are driven down so that they embed themselves in the body of the fabric.

My improvement comprises a metallic strip perforated along its edges and intended to be secured permanently to the floor near the walls and having projecting from its surface a flange, preferably inclined toward the wall, so as to form an acute angle with the side of the floor nearest the wall, and a second strip preferably of metal having also a flange and adapted to be secured to the margins of the carpet by means of staples or in other convenient way, the flanges of the strip attached to the carpet being adapted to hook over the flange of the strip fastened to the floor, so as to hold the carpet in place.

I have shown the preferred form of construction in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the carpet stretched and fastened in place on a sec tion of the floor. Fig. 2 is a reverse plan view of a portion of a strip secured to the carpet, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view showi ng the two strips in position to be interlocked In the drawings, A represents a section of floor, and B a quarter-round molding, which is usually applied in the angle of the floor and wall.

0 represents a metallic strip, which may be made of tin or other light sheet metal, and which is doubled upon itself between its margins to provide the u pwardly-proj ecting flange c, which will preferably be inclined toward the wall and form an acute angle with that portion of the body between the base of the flange and the wall. This strip, for purposes of securement to the floor, will preferably be perforated along its edges, as at c, and will be secured permanently to the floor.

D represents a second fastening-strip,whieh may be formed of similar material, and which also has a doubled flange CI, but projected from the body portion in the reverse direction of the flange c of the strip 0 in order to adapt the two flanges to interlock or engage. Perforations d are made in the edges of the strip D, and the strip is secured to the edge of the carpet by means of the wire staples E, or in other suitable way. The portion (1 of the strip D between the base of the flange and the edge of the carpet will preferably be inclined with reference to the body portion on the opposite side of the flange, so as to hold the extreme edge of the carpet close to the floor, and also to prevent the staple ends withdrawing.

In use, the strip 0 having been secured to the floor, the carpet will be spread, and after one corner is fastened the corresponding corner at the opposite side of the room will be engaged, and then by stretching the carpet, using the leverage thus obtained, the flanges may be interlocked along opposite edges and then the other corners will be stretched in the same way. The carpet is thus stretched in one direction, and then one side of the carpet between its ends previously fastened may be secured, and then it may be stretched across its middle and at suitable intervals between its ends and fastened in the same way.

An advantage of this device is that when one corner is made fast the carpet may be stretched along the opposite edge from that corner quite readily, because the fasteningstrip at the opposite edge may have its flange easily engaged at one end with the corresponding flange of the floor-strip, and then 'by taking hold of the carpet at a convenient distance from this point the stretching is easily effected to cause the engagement of the flange throughout its length. These strips may be made in any desired length; but for convenience in handling I prefer to make them, say, one foot in length,and then to place them end to end or at suitable intervals. It the strips are attached to the car, pet with their ends slightly separated the carpet may he readily folded without removing them. The floor-strip may be made in longer lengths, and, as itis permanently attached, it

- could, if desired, be made in long pieces and then out to order. The strip whichis applied to the carpet need never be removed, and thus after the carpet is put down it may be taken up and relaid as often as desired Without removing the fastenings.

I do not limit my invention to the precise forms of construction herein shown, nor to any particular means for securing the strips to the floor and carpet, respectively.

I claim-- A carpet stretcher and fastener comprising,

in combination, a metallic strip having a flat body portion, with an integral longitudinal flange formed by doubling the strip between its edges and perforated for securement to the floor, and a second strip formed from a sheet of metal doubled between its edges to provide a flange adapted to interlock with the flange of the floor-strip, said strips affording continuously-extending projections throughout the length of the margin of the secured carpet, substantially as described. FREDERICK FRILLMAN, JR. Witnesses:

O. O. LINTHICUM, FREDERICK O. GOODWIN. 

